According to 2 surveys, the People's Party and its leaders are currently the most supported choices by voters ahead of the general election on February 8.
According to a survey by Suan Dusit University conducted from January 6-9 and announced on January 11, the People's Party was supported by 34.2% of respondents, while Bhumjaithai ranked second with 16.2%, and Pheu Thai - who once dominated - reached 16%.
People's Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut is the top choice for the position of prime minister with 32% out of 2,682 survey participants. Followed by Mr. Yodchanan Wongsawat of Pheu Thai with 17.4%, and Mr. Anutin ranked third with 15.1%.
Thanks to the strong support of young people and urban residents for the bold reform program, the predecessor of the People's Party, Move Forward, once won the most votes in the 2023 election but was prevented from taking power by lawmakers allied with the military in a conservative direction.
The Progressive Party was then dissolved by the court - one of a series of dramatic developments in a prolonged cycle of instability that made Thailand have 3 prime ministers in less than 3 years.
Previously, on December 12, Mr. Anutin called for early elections when the new government has been in power for less than 100 days, while parliament faces the risk of a vote of no confidence that could collapse the minority cabinet.
This move also takes place in the context of the Thai military being involved in a 3-week tense border conflict with Cambodia.
Another survey released by the National Institute for Development Management (NIDA) on January 11 also showed that Mr. Natthaphong was the top choice for the prime minister position with 24.7% support, closely followed by Mr. Anutin with 20.8%, and Mr. Yodchanan ranked fifth with 9.6%.
A NIDA survey conducted from January 5 to 8 with 2,500 people showed that the People's Party was the most supported party with about 30.5%, followed by Bhumjaithai with 22.3%.
The Pheu Thai Party of the Shinawatra billionaire family ranked third with 15.4% of respondents choosing, reflecting a decline in support for this populist party after the government collapsed in September, when Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra was dismissed by the court and the party's influential founder, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, was arrested.
